In a video released to the Pentax Film Project’s YouTube channel, Product Planner Takeo Suzuki (TKO) goes into further details of the camera and offers insight into why these design choices were made.

They wanted to start their film camera project lineup with a camera that would be easy to use, affordable, and appeal to a younger generation of film photographers.

This all seems to align with what we’ve known for years now, regarding Pentax’s film camera plans and roadmap.

In 2022, Pentax and Ricoh released a video announcing their intention to create a range of brand new film cameras. In that video, Product Planner Takeo Suzuki said that Pentax’s plan was to start by developing a compact camera “affordable for young people,” followed by “a high end compact,” then an “SLR camera,” and finally a “fully mechanical SLR.”

Since then, public information on the project has been scarce, with only subtle hints and few official updates. Today’s announcement is the latest and most specific information that Pentax has yet released about what to expect from the first model in their new range of film cameras.

My Take on the New Pentax Film Camera

I’ve been positive about the news that Pentax would release a new film camera since I first heard about it a few years ago. I wrote my thoughts about it here, and they remain largely unchanged.

That a major camera manufacturer is jumping into film camera production post-2020 is a big deal for people who like film. The fact that they announced their intention to develop four new cameras is incredible, ensuring that eventually there will be a model type for every sort of photographer.

This first new camera doesn’t necessarily sound like my dream camera. But then again, this is all going according to plan, so far. Remember that Pentax said they’d make an affordable entry level camera for newcomers, and follow that up with the type of cameras I like best.

As far as a cheap half frame camera goes, they’re fine. Just not my favorite. It may be a slightly unfair comparison (in fact, it is, since I’ve not yet seen Pentax’s new camera myself) but I reviewed the Kodak / RETO Ektar H35, a compact and affordable half frame film point and shoot not long ago, and came away fairly unimpressed.

From the official Pentax info releases and conversations I’ve had elsewhere, I believe Pentax’s first new film camera will be quite a bit better than that (a better lens, more solid construction, not cheap and flimsy like the Kodak). I’m envisioning something more like an Olympus XA 2, except half frame. And that would be lovely indeed.

But just because, on paper, this first new film camera in Pentax’s Film Project may not be necessarily my dream camera, it’s still a new film camera from one of the most storied and respected bunch of people in the industry! This is huge news, super exciting, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with.

And I also look forward to a future of Pentax film cameras, after this first half frame camera has made them some money and confirmed their suspicion that the film market is strong enough to warrant the investment in R&D that more “serious” cameras will demand.

At the end of the day, I can’t wait to get my hands on whatever camera Pentax creates. Stay tuned for that.

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A very kind and patient reader recently sent me both lenses, and I’ve spent time shooting them over the last couple of months. While both Nikkors are interesting, collectible, and well-performing lenses, the one which really impressed me has been the newer of the two, the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P. Though I no longer own an FM3a, I was able to use the 45mm on another interesting classic camera, the Nikon N2000. I also paired it via adapter to my Nikon Z series mirror-less digital, to delightful and surprising results.

The Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P has immediately joined my list of must-have favorite classic lenses.

Specifications of the Nikon Nikkor 45mm f/2.8 P

• Lens Mount: Nikon F Mount (AI-S and CPU contacts)
• Focal Length: 45mm full frame (approx. 67.5mm APSC)
• Aperture: Maximum aperture of f/2.8; Minimum aperture of f/22; 7 rounded blades
• Focus: Manual focus only; Minimum focus distance 45 centimeters (17 inches)
• Dimensions (Diameter x Height): 4.5 x 0.7 inches (114 x 18 mm)
• Weight: 4.2 oz (119 grams)

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Brief History of the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P

In the early 2000s, Nikon embarked on an unexpected task: to create their last, great manual focus 35mm film SLR camera. Yoshiyuki Nakano served as development leader and Masaaki Tsukamoto lead mechanical design of the camera that would be called FM3a.

I’ve written in great detail about the FM3a in my review, but I’ll here quickly reiterate the importance of this amazing camera.

By 2001, auto-focus was the established norm and digital photography was being adopted en masse by pros and amateurs alike. That Nikon decided to develop and release one last truly high-quality manual focus 35mm film camera was special indeed. And it was during the development of this special camera that Nikon designers started to wonder if it would also be possible to make a new standard manual focus lens to match with the FM3a.

The FM3a, though it was the most advanced, reliable, and capable manual focus 35mm film SLR that Nikon had ever made, was also extremely compact and lightweight. Nikon knew that the accompanying lens must also be compact and light.

In the 1990s, Nikon optical designer Kouichi Ohshita had developed a super compact and lightweight lens for the Nikon Pronea S. To its designer’s chagrin, this lens never made it to production. However, given his expertise in designing such high performance compact lenses, Kouichi Ohshita was entrusted to design the optics for the proposed lens that would accompany the FM3a.

It was decided that the lens should be a 45mm lens, as an homage to the older GN Auto Nikkor 45mm f/2.8. Like that lens, the new lens would employ a similar optical design of four elements in three groups. This design would feature the classic Tessar formula: one convex element at the front, one concave element in the center, and a concave-convex doublet at the rear.

Tessar lenses have two weaknesses – great spherical aberration, and having an image plane that’s not as flat as Gauss lenses. Kouichi Ohshita developed two formulae in preliminary design and testing, one which prioritized flattening the image plane (which reduced contrast at maximum aperture), and another which prioritized sharpness at all apertures by reducing spherical aberration and coma. Ultimately, the latter was used, as it was believed that a standard lens should be consistent at all apertures.

Nikon had recently developed a new high-refractive-index glass, and this was used for the second convex element. The radius of curvature of the doublet was also increased, which flattened the image plane and corrected spherical aberration and coma.

Once the optical formula was decided upon, it was determined that the lens should be compact, sophisticated, versatile, and of exceptional quality. The barrel was made of metal, and a custom metal screw-in lens hood was designed (internally, Nikon designers called this the “barnacle hood”). A very close minimum focus distance of 45 cm (17 inches) was achieved, and the lens was fitted with CPU contacts so that EXIF data could be recorded when the lens was used with digital cameras.

Nikon FM3a Review - A Nearly Perfect SLR

I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect camera. Beyond the quirks of design that cause even the best of cameras to annoy, there’s personal preference to account. Some people like large cameras, some people small. Some shooters prefer SLRs, others are wrong. But despite this, there does exist a camera that’s closer to perfect than any I’ve used. It’s the Nikon FM3a. Before your eyes complete that roll and before your cursor drifts to the next site in your browser’s reading list (fannypackaficionado.com can wait a few more minutes), let me tell you why I’ve made such a […]

Using the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P Today

The obvious first impression of the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8 is that its designers achieved their goals.

The lens is supremely small and incredibly well-built. The gorgeous geometric knurling of its all-metal focusing ring is magnificent, and the focus dampening is simply luxurious. The aperture ring clicks beautifully into its detents, and the engraving and paintwork are all top shelf.

When fitted to a camera, the lens nearly disappears, creating a truly wonderful shooting experience in which taking a picture with a full-featured SLR is like using a compact camera. The zone-focusing scale makes it possible to set and forget our aperture, after which we need only point and shoot. Of course, for those interested in complete control, we have the usual aperture and focus rings, which control beautifully.

Some users with big hands might find the lens too small. My hands are average size, and I found the lens a joy to use.

When mounted to Nikon’s new mirror-less Z series cameras (or to other brands’ cameras, like the Sony A series) the camera loses some of its compactness by virtue of its requiring an adapter. That said, mounting this pancake to a mirror-less camera via adapter will be smaller than mounting almost any other classic manual focus lens to the same camera with the same adapter.

Image Quality

For me, the biggest surprise about this nearly 25-year-old lens has been that it performs like a lens designed yesterday. Though using it feels as though we’re using a classic lens from the 1970s, it makes images that are thoroughly modern.

Sharpness is exceptional. Contrast is strong, even at maximum aperture. Distortion is nearly non-existent. When close-focusing, the lens loses none of its capability.

When shooting wide open there is a slight loss of sharpness at the edges of the frame. Similarly there is minor light falloff at the corners of the image at maximum aperture, and contrast drops off similarly at this setting.

However, to be clear, these optical problems are so slight that they will never interfere with our final image. I’ve shot many of the sample photos in this review at wide open aperture. For the perfectionists, stop the lens down to f/4 and all of these problems virtually disappear.

When close focusing it’s possible to achieve some level of bokeh and subject isolation. However, the bokeh is in no way the star of the show. Subjects may be isolated nicely, but there’s no real way to achieve a totally blurred background. That’s not the purpose of this lens. Its purpose is to capture sharp, vital images.

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The Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P Compared to Other Nikkors

The Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 pancake lens shares a lot of the qualities of the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P, and in some ways it’s a better lens. It has a faster aperture, produces nicer bokeh, and is less expensive to buy today. However, the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P is much smaller, feels as though it’s better built, and (in my experience) makes nicer photos.

Compared with the older GN Auto Nikkor 45mm f/2.8, upon which the newer lens is based, the original GN lens does have some minor advantage. The GN lens uses nine aperture blades and produces rounder, cleaner bokeh (most noticeable in highlight bokeh). It also has a more retro imaging character (i.e., it has worse image quality). Where the more modern Nikkor beats the older GN, however, is that the newer lens has a closer close-focusing distance, is significantly smaller and lighter, and offers AI and AIS compatibility and CPU contacts, where the older lens does not.

The big question is this: should we buy this somewhat uncommon and expensive lens?

The answer depends on what sort of camera we’re using.

For users who want a lens that can be used on a Nikon film camera and also adapted to mirror-less, this is a great choice. For users who only plan to shoot digitally, and specifically with a Nikon Z series camera, the choice isn’t so clear.

I recently reviewed the Z mount Nikkor 40mm, a thoroughly modern lens which shares many of the same design touch points as the older Nikkor. The new 40mm Z series lens is an auto-focus lens, it’s super compact, it makes images that are simply untouchable in their quality, and it’s even available as a limited edition which proudly features the old-style Nikkor lens barrel design. It’s my favorite standard lens in the system. For ease of use and performance on a mirror-less Nikon Z series camera, it’s better than the old 45mm and makes the old Nikkor redundant.

However, we can’t mount the Z mount 40mm lens onto a Nikon FM3a. For users seeking an ultra-compact 40-50mm Nikkor lens which can be used with a mirror-less digital camera and with a Nikon film camera, the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P is a great choice.

Final Thoughts

I knew that I’d like this lens before I ever used it. But it has still managed to surprise me. Most of those good feelings come from just how beautifully it performs, optically. Though the Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P looks, feels, and carries itself as if it were an ancient optic, a classic legacy lens from the heyday of 35mm film, it makes photos that are as impressive and sharp and punchy as a modern Nikkor, and its versatility (that of being able to mount to both Nikon film and digital cameras) is a big selling point, too.

Fitting the 45mm to my Nikon N2000, my Nikon Z5, and my on-loan Nikon Zf has been a truly wonderful experience. I never expected it, but this lens helped me make images that I’ll adore for the rest of my life. That’s something that very few lenses can do.

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

The post Nikon Nikkor 45mm f/2.8P – a Classic Pancake Lens Review appeared first on Casual Photophile.

I spent a week shooting a roll of film through this cute, little APS film point-and-shoot. It made pictures, which was neat. I held it, and it felt a certain way. I used its sparse features, some of which were interesting. And in the context of a review, such as the one that I’m writing and that you are now reading, I should probably touch upon all of that.

But let’s be real. We’re here for just one reason. The camera looks like an orange.

[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

A Brief History of APS Film

APS film (an acronym for “Advanced Photo System”) is a dead film format that was first produced in 1996 and discontinued in 2011 when Kodak and FujiFilm, the format’s last two manufacturers, ceased production. It was sold under a number of brand names; Kodak Advantix, FujiFilm Nexia, Agfa Futura, and Konica Centuria.

The core idea behind APS film was an intention to simplify photography for newcomers and amateurs, to create a smaller, easier film format than 35mm film. APS film came from the factories pre-loaded into sealed canisters, which could be more easily dropped into any APS film camera than could 35mm film be loaded into a 35mm camera. All APS cameras would then handle the “complicated” operation of spooling the film through the camera for use, and reloading it into the canister after exposure, and APS film cameras were significantly smaller than comparable 35mm film cameras. In size and ease of use, at least, APS film was a success.

But APS film’s image area was significantly smaller that of 35mm film, offering just 58% of the surface area of a 35mm film. This smaller image area had an unfortunate (if predictable) side effect; compared to images made on 35mm film, APS film’s image quality was poorer. The drop in quality would be especially egregious when APS film images were printed or enlarged.

While sales of APS cameras and film were initially strong, within five years the numbers dropped significantly. Serious photographers never liked APS film because of its inferior image quality, and the format’s target demographic, amateur photographers, rapidly eschewed film en masse in favor of digital cameras.

Today, no one makes APS film, and any rolls we find will be long-expired relics of a forgotten time. Shooting expired film is fraught with peril, as described here, and here, and here. And yet my darling clementine Canon begged to be used, so I loaded a roll and crossed my fingers.

Specifications of the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine

• Camera Type: APS format point-and-shoot film camera
• Lens: 23mm f/4.8 (3 elements in 3 groups glass Triplet design); 23mm is equivalent to 29mm in 35mm full frame format
• Focus: Automatic focus from 2 ft to infinity (3.3 ft to infinity when flash is OFF)
• Exposure: Automatic
• Flash: Built in flash; modes incl. ON, OFF, Slow Synchro, Red-Eye Reduction
• Additional Features: Drop-in film loading; Automatic film advance and rewind; Three framing modes (Classic, Wide Angle, and Panoramic; Date, Time, and Title printing functions; Magnetic Information Exchange (IX); Self-Timer; Strap

Embracing the Gimmick

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine is a gimmicky camera that comes from a line of unapologetically gimmicky cameras. By their very nature, APS was a pandering format. It promised to sufficiently dumb down photography to a point that any dolt could succeed. That’s a gimmick.

The cameras were small, so Canon named them “ELPH.” Not “Elf” with an F, but rather a PH. That’s also a gimmick.

And then someone in a board room asked “What if we made cameras cute?” And a product designer, hours later, munching an orange to fight the flu, doodled an orange with a lens in the middle (possibly). Another gimmick.

The result is a camera that’s as fun to look at as it is to shoot. Actually, it might be more fun to look at.

From the moment I first laid eyes on the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine, I was ready to drink the juice. Its packaging is reminiscent of a box of orange juice. It’s strap is a friendship bracelet of sunshine. It’s plastic shell is a delightfully textured matte rind which begs to be palmed.

Using the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine

Like most APS film point-and-shoot cameras, the ELPH Shades Sunshine is tiny, lightweight, and simple to use. True to form, one only needs to point and shoot.

The protruding handgrip fits well in the hands, and the camera balances nicely in one-handed operation. The shutter release button is large and positioned readily so that a half-press focuses and a full-press fires. The viewfinder is clean and bright, though admittedly quite small. The camera’s buttons and levers are easily identifiable, and relatively simple to press (though the top mounted SELECT and SET buttons are tiny, the strap has a little tool attached to it for pressing these).

There’s an ON/OFF slider on the front of the camera which also serves as a lens cover. Slide it to ON, peer through the camera’s viewfinder, and press the button. Easy stuff.

The flash is powerful and bright, giving indoor portraits the early 2000s blown-out, ultra-white aesthetic for which Gen Z is currently experiencing vicarious nostalgia. Turning it off or cycling through the other few various flash modes is a matter of a button press, or two or three.

There’s a top-mounted liquid crystal display which is protected by a nicely convex shield of plastic. This screen shows pertinent information, such as how many exposures we’ve made on the roll of film, battery life, our TITLE mode and DATE information, and more. It’s a neat addition, though somewhat irrelevant, given the nature of APS point-and-shoot cameras. Typically, we just don’t really care about this stuff. We’re just going to literally point and shoot.

Remember? We’re morons.

There is no tripod socket. But that’s not really a problem. APS film users don’t own tripods.

The Canon Elph Shades Sunshine has the ability to print “titles” on the back of a print. By pressing the TITLE button on the back of the camera, we can choose one of six languages and one of five messages in each language; messages like “I Love You,” and “Thank You,” and “Happy Birthday.” How cute, though not of much use for those of us uninterested in printing low-quality APS film images (me).

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Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine for sale | eBay

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Image quality

There are two important things to remember when discussing image quality of APS film cameras.

First, in terms of image quality, APS film was always inferior to 35mm film.

Second, any APS film we find today will invariably be expired, which means that image quality is worse than ever.

Considerations considered, the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine made decent photos in my week of testing. The expired film was indeed lower in contrast than it would have been when new, and some color shifts did present. However, sharpness and clarity from the little 23mm lens were fairly good when images were made in bright light or with the camera’s built-in flash.

There’s fairly significant ghosting, flaring, and distortion, as well as noticeably vignetting in my sample images.

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine is certainly not a good choice for times when image quality is important. But, hey, in times when a camera simply must look like an orange, there’s no better machine.

Final Thoughts

I suppose I could end on a metaphor.

If a camera is a fruit, then the photos are the juice. If that’s true, the ELPH Shades Sunshine is a bit spoiled. While not totally rotten or ready for the compost heap, it’s certainly past the sell-by date.

But I don’t think a camera like this needs to make great images. Or, to be honest, any images at all. It’s a gimmicky camera, a design exercise, a product to tickle the edge of our lips and remind us that, no, not all things have to be serious.

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine looks great sitting on a shelf in my office. It’s cheap and cute. I like its gimmick, and sometimes that’s enough.

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

The post Canon’s Fruit-Themed Camera, the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine appeared first on Casual Photophile.

Nikon does not often name its lenses. Since its beginning in 1933, the company has manufactured over 110 million lenses, and very few indeed have been engraved with any names other than Nippon Kogaku (Nikon’s old name), Nikon, or Nikkor. When Nikon names a lens, it’s because they want us to notice. It’s because they feel they’ve made an extraordinary lens, one which rises above their own typical optical excellence.

The Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena does just that. It is practically an optically perfect lens, it handles beautifully, with only a few minor drawbacks, and it’s not even that expensive (relatively…).

I’ve been shooting the Plena in real-world scenarios for the last three months. Let me share some thoughts on the newest named Nikkor, the Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.

Specifications of the Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

• Mount : Nikon Z mount
• Focal Length : 135mm
• Maximum Aperture : f/ 1.8
• Minimum Aperture : f/ 16
• Format : Full Frame (FX)
• Maximum Angle of View (DX crop-sensor cameras) : 12°
• Maximum Angle of View (FX full frame cameras) : 18°10′
• Maximum Reproduction Ratio : 0.2x
• Lens Formula : 16 elements in 14 groups; 4 ED elements, 1 aspherical element; 1 SR (short wavelength refractive) element
  
• Diaphragm Blades : 11 rounded blades; smooth opening and closing
  
• Vibration Reduction Image Stabilization : Only with Z series cameras with in-body VR
• ARNEO Coat : Yes
• Meso Amorphous Coat : Yes
• Fluorine Coat : No
• Focus Mode : Auto/Manual, user-selectable; 2 STM (stepping motor); Internal focusing
  
• Minimum Focus Distance : 2.69ft (0.82m) from focal plane
• Filter Size : Screw-in 82mm
• Approx. Dimensions (Diameter x Length) : 3.9 in. (98 mm)  x  5.5 in. (139.5 mm)
• Approx. Weight : 35.1 oz. (995 g)
• Price : $2,499 USD [B&H Photo Affiliate Link]

What’s a Plena?

When Nikon issued the press release announcement of the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, the brand elaborated on the name.

“The name “Plena” is derived from the Latin term plenum, which denotes the state of a space being completely full. This name was chosen to reflect the lens’ ability to fulfill the user’s creative vision with superior light gathering capability, beautiful well-rounded bokeh and outstanding sharpness and clarity throughout the frame.”

I suppose this means that the lens is full. Full of stuff. And it is!

It has 16 lens elements in 14 groups, 4 extra low dispersion glass elements, 1 aspherical element, 1 short-wavelength refractive element, 11 rounded aperture blades, 2 auto-focus stepping motors, two function buttons, a focus switch and a focus ring, a programmable function ring, a weather-sealed body made of metal, and both the largest front and rear lens elements that I’ve ever seen.

That is indeed a lot of stuff, the purpose of all of which is to help us take gorgeous photos.

Nikon touched on this in their press release as well. They claimed that the Plena is a lens like none before it. Nikon promised astonishing edge-to-edge clarity and dreamlike circular bokeh, both at the same time, and affirmed that the lens was designed to be shot wide open at f/1.8.

Tired old photo nerds will know that the two mentioned optical characteristics aren’t particularly  rare. There are many lenses which provide edge-to-edge clarity, and many others which provide dreamlike circular bokeh. The trick, as the experienced among us also know, is to find a lens that does both at the same time. And wide open, no less? That really is a trick.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens

Buy Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens featuring Full-Frame | f/1.8 to f/16, Fast, Lightweight Telephoto Prime, Multi-Focus System, Round Bokeh from Edge to Edge, ED, SR, and Aspherical Elements, Programmable Linear Focus Ring, Customizable Control Ring, ARNEO and Meso Amorphous Coatings, Dust- and Water-Resitant Design. Review Nikon Plena

Ergonomics of the Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

The Plena is a heavy lens.

It weighs 35 oz (995 grams), which is about 2.2 lbs. That’s 75% the total weight of the Nikon Z9, Nikon’s heaviest mirror-less camera, and almost double the weight of the Z5, their smallest and lightest mirror-less. So, with the Plena fitted to a Z9 we’re carrying 5.15 lbs of camera and lens; fitted to a Z5 we’re carrying 3.5 lbs. Pretty heavy, and for extended photo shoots, such as a wedding, it could become tiresome. (In fairness, this is true of basically all modern, fast, mid-tele portrait lenses.)

It’s also big. When not fitted to my Nikon Z5 or the on-loan Nikon Zf, it occupied essentially all of the space in my everyday carry camera bag, and about half the space in my photo gear travel backpack.

That said, it’s hard to care about weight and size when we see the images the Plena can make.

We realize pretty quickly that it’s a lens that defies comparison. Nikon’s 85mm f/1.8 Z lens is smaller and lighter by about half, but it can’t match the Plena’s images. The closer optical contender, Nikon’s excellent Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S, is similarly out-shined, and that lens is even heavier than the Plena. Then there’s the Sigma Art 135mm lens for the Nikon F mount weighs even more than the Plena (even before we fit the F mount to Z mount adapter).

And then there’s the fact that, from the perspective of build quality and finish, the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is the finest lens in the Z lineup.

While most of the lenses in the Z series are housed in plastic bodies, with some (like the otherwise amazing 40mm having even their mount made of plastic), the barrel, body, and mount of the Nikkor Plena are all made of metal. It feels amazing in the hands, with a gorgeous finish of high sheen satin black paint (or powder coat, or anodized metal?) that matches perfectly with the sheen of the black bodied Nikon Zf.

The knurled rubber focus ring is precise and positioned well, with a static rubber knurled ring sitting ahead of it on the barrel so that holding the lens steady while rotating the focus ring with an extra digit becomes effortless.

The diamond knurled customizable function ring is tucked closer to the lens mount, and this too actuates with luxurious and click-less fluidity. It can be mapped to control ISO, aperture, exposure compensation, and many other functions. The two function buttons are positioned well, with the top-mounted button being most useful when using the camera in portrait orientation.

Drawbacks of the design are nearly non-existent. The only real qualm that I’ve had with the ergonomics being that there’s a tendency to accidentally actuate the customizable function ring in between photos.

This might happen due to behavior brought on by the combined weight of the camera and lens. The whole kit weighs so much that when not using the camera, I’m reluctant to let it hang from a neck strap. But I also find that the lens is so chunky that holding the rig by the camera body feels awkward and front-heavy, and holding it from just the lens feels equally weird. Thus, a natural place to hold the camera and lens when not in active use seems to be the base of the lens barrel. It balances nicely, but this is also where the function ring lives.

The chain of events in real-world use is such that I might shoot some photos, and then I’ll hold the camera in the manner mentioned while I’m repositioning for a different angle or otherwise occupied not taking photos. The function ring spins without my realizing it, this way or that, and when I next raise the camera to take a photo I find that whatever function I’ve mapped to the ring has changed in its setting – the aperture that was once set to f/1.8 is now f/4, for example.

This problem can be easily mitigated by simply holding the camera in a different way, or remembering to check my settings with a glance every time I raise the camera to my eye, or by setting the function ring to a less critical control, or by deactivating it entirely.

In truth, I seek to find problems in every lens and camera that I review. That’s my job. The fact that this lens’ biggest issue is one so trivial should give a good indication of its ergonomic soundness.

And don’t forget that it’s a weather-sealed lens. Peace of mind is nice.

Image Quality of the Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena

Nikon has been keen to emphasize that there is no more important metric when measuring the effectiveness of the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena than that of image quality. The lens was made for one purpose – to be an artful and optically perfect lens. They have striven to make a lens which can provide crystal clarity from edge to edge when shot wide open, as well as dreamlike bokeh in both foreground and background elements of a shot, all at maximum aperture.

And they’ve done it.

The Nikkor Plena is unlike any other lens that I’ve used. It does indeed create incredible sharpness. When shot wide open, this sharpness is simply astonishing, and true to Nikon’s claims, this sharpness does extend from one edge of the image to another. Individual strands of hair are easily discernible. A shot that I made of a boat floating in a harbor some twenty yards away from me (at night, and lit only by a streetlamp) shows minuscule droplets of water clinging to a fine line. I can count my daughters’ eyelashes in hastily-shot, badly-lit portraits.

Bokeh is smooth and uniform both in front of and behind the point of focus. Bokeh highlights are pleasant and bubbly and show almost no cat’s eye warping effect as the out of focus highlights reach the edge of the image area. Even when we stop the aperture down, bokeh is still quite round as a result of the many curved and rounded aperture blades. Transition from in-focus to out-of-focus elements is subtle and gradual, never jarring.

There’s no effective vignetting, as the frame is evenly lit at all apertures, edge to edge. Nikon has achieved this through the lens’ massive and curved rear element. It is physically larger than any other lens they’ve yet made, and coupled with the Z mount (which is similarly enormous) the lens is able to project light evenly across the camera’s full-frame sensor.

Chromatic aberration is non-existent. Color bokeh and “onion ring bokeh” is controlled through Nikon’s optical coatings. Glare is mitigated with ARNEO and Meso Amorphous coat technology (Nikon’s highest spec anti-reflection coating), so that backlit subjects remain well-defined and clarity remains high even when shooting directly into sunlight. Flares are incredibly hard to achieve. Only by shooting directly into the sun on an extremely bright day was I able to create a small, purplish flare.

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The Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena in Real World Use

There is a tendency amongst reviewers (and human being, generally) to compartmentalize things, to put things in boxes so that the world is easily understood and digested. Following this tendency, it’s almost natural to assume that since the Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena is a 135mm lens, it must therefore be a portrait lens suitable only for people who make a lot of headshot photos. It is specialized, and shouldn’t be considered for use by everyday photo takers.

I can’t really agree with that. I’m not a portrait photographer. I don’t know any models, or actors, or financial advisors looking to spruce up their resume with a photo. I’m just a person who likes to take photos of my family and the places we go, and to take pictures of neat stuff that I see as I’m living my life.

In the time that I’ve had the Plena, I’ve fallen in love with it and used it in surprisingly varied scenarios.

Sure, I’ve used it to make portraits of my kids, a task which it performed better than any lens I’ve ever used. But I’ve also used it for birding. I’ve used it for street photography and landscapes. I’ve used it for product photography and abstract work. I’ve used it on Christmas Eve, in the middle of the night, when the only light to be seen came from a few feeble Christmas lights and a half-dozen candles.

The thing about the Plena is that it’s a lens that offers something no other lens can offer, and half of the fun of using it has been in discovering what it can do in scenarios that aren’t necessarily its raison d’etre. It’s a low light vacuum, a bokeh factory, a scalpel so sharp it can split the atom.

The only really limiting factor which keeps me from recommending it to literally every single Nikon Z series camera owner, is that it costs $2,500 USD, which is a lot of money.

I can rationalize the cost. I can tell myself that a lens like this is unique and special, and I wouldn’t be lying to myself. I can amortize the cost, remind myself that a lens like this will be owned and loved and used over a span of a decade, two decades, three! And all of it would be true. But $2,500 is still a lot of money. And I won’t tell people how to spend theirs.

Sample Images

[click or tap to enlarge]

Final Thoughts

When I began writing this review some days ago, I was in the midst of a bout of the flu. My head was splitting and my entire body ached. I was tired, and my eyes felt as if they’d retreated deep into their sockets. I rubbed my temples with my fingertips and blinked stupidly at the blank page headlined, Nikon Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens Review. But no words sprang to mind. I simply stared and thought about the Plena.

I thought about how great it was, how lovely it felt to hold, how dense and solid it seemed, how shiny and beautiful it was, and the way its front lens element reminded me of a deep, clear lake. I tried to write my review through the pounding aches, but after typing and deleting paragraph after paragraph, after starting and stopping for a half hour and raking my face and forehead for thirty minutes longer, I knew that no effective words would trickle out of me that day. I’d try again in the morning.

But before I stood from my desk and stumbled off to a fitful nights rest, I scrolled a bit down the page and typed a placeholder – a three word review.

I love lens.

That just about says it all, I think.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens

Buy Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens featuring Full-Frame | f/1.8 to f/16, Fast, Lightweight Telephoto Prime, Multi-Focus System, Round Bokeh from Edge to Edge, ED, SR, and Aspherical Elements, Programmable Linear Focus Ring, Customizable Control Ring, ARNEO and Meso Amorphous Coatings, Dust- and Water-Resitant Design. Review Nikon Plena

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More On the Nikon Z Series!

See all of our Nikon Z series lens and camera reviews here!

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And yet the Minolta P’s’s interesting aspect ratio, punchy lens, and overall ethos make it a camera that I highly recommend to any photographer looking for a unique and rewarding challenge.

The Minolta P’s was made in 1991, a time when the automatic-everything point-and-shoot segment was running at full sprint. It was designed to be a consumer point-and-shoot, easy to use, and to shoot exclusively in a panoramic aspect ratio to capture landscapes and group shots. It was offered in a number of vibrant (and collectible) colors. Mine happens to be red.

It’s worth noting that one info-graphic inside the manual suggests that the P’s is the perfect camera to grab a vertical panorama of the Eiffel Tower (2024 Olympics, here I come).

Specifications of the Minolta P’s

• Lens: 24 mm f/4,5 lens, manually operated lens barrier
• Shutter speeds: 1/4 to 1/200 s. when flash is canceled
• Flash: Built-in, range 0.9—2.7 meters (at ISO 100)
• DX code speeds 100 & 400 ISO
• Motor wind and rewind
• Timer with warning light
• Power: CR123 lithium battery
• Weight and Dimensions: 185 grams, 11.6 x 6.2 x 3.4 cm

The Minolta P’s limitations are also the things that make it shine as a user’s camera.

As mentioned before, every frame made with the P’s is in a panoramic aspect ratio. The camera achieves this through a physically smaller film gate that only allows part of the film negative to be exposed. Many other point-and-shoot cameras of its era opt for this as an optional feature (for example, Pentax’s IQ Zoom series contains a number of models which have a Panorama/Normal switch that flips physical blinds at the top and bottom of the film gate). But the P’s leans hard into pano mode. You won’t be making a full frame image with this camera, no matter what, but being limited to this aspect ratio is the fun of it all.

The bright viewfinder is shaped accordingly, with frame lines and horizon guides so you can compose your panoramic scenes.

The flash, too, is limited, in that it can be overridden, but you have to press and hold the cancel it, meaning two hands are needed. This is rather annoying. Even the DX code reading is limited (this is an odd one that I haven’t encountered before). Take a look at how it’s described in the user manual:

“Film-speed setting: Automatically set to ISO 100 for DX-coded films rated slower than ISO 400, or to ISO 400 for DX-coded films rated ISO 400 or faster; ISO 100 set for films without DX-coding”

So, the Minolta P’s seemingly can read the DX code of a range of film, but defaults to exposing them at 100 or 400 only. At first, I was a bit confused and turned off by this. But in a way this can be a solution to another frustration found in most point-and-shoots; the inability to manually set our ISO. Depending on what film we load, this limitation can be somewhat hacked into an advantage – if we choose our film intentionally, it’s possible to overexpose our film of choice.

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User Experience

I’ve spent the last few weeks carrying the Minolta P’s with me everywhere I went, intending to shoot it in all sorts of light. It was this everyday carry approach that really polished my opinion of the P’s, which is that I like this camera. It is so, damn, portable. Weighing almost nothing and being extremely slim, it’s among the most effortless cameras I’ve used.

And then there’s the cinematic aspect ratio.

I have a tendency to think of memories or moments in the form of cinematic scenes from a movie. The Minolta P’s’s aspect ratio quickly became second nature. It’s like plucking memories from my brain and placing them on film. Occasionally trying out a vertical composition worked in some cases, but I likely won’t go out of my way to do it again (unless I go to Paris sometime soon).

The lens is surprisingly good. It’s sharp enough, performed well in most lighting situations. It produced noticeable vignetting, but not obnoxiously so, and at times the vignetting added to the cinematic appeal of my shots. The wide lens does also produce some distortion toward the edges of the frame, though like the vignetting mentioned, it’s not too noticeable or offensive (unless we’re doing one of those vertical orientation shots with a person in frame).

I noticed that I reverted back to the days of my childhood, using a disposable camera. What am I talking about? Well, in more than a couple frames my finger made an appearance. Not a huge problem, and with the first roll out of the way I’m confident I’ll get used to proper hand placement, but readers with larger hands beware.

There are, of course, things that I don’t like about the camera. It’s not perfect, but that’s good. Perfect is boring.

My loudest complaint is that the flash is easily my least favorite part of the camera. It’s automatically ON by default, and though we can cancel it by holding down the flash cancel button, it’s not as fast or easy as it should be. To cancel the flash requires a workflow-freezing hold that lasts just a bit too long. A single press would have been better. But I’m really just upset that I ever have to use two hands with a camera this size.

Due to this first-world inconvenience, I opted to let the flash fly free for the majority of my first roll. Auto flash is something I’m used to with one of my favorite point and shoots the Kodak VR35 K12, which I’ve reviewed previously. But I quickly learned that the Minolta P’s has a deeply unflattering flash. It often seemed much too harsh for my taste.

Final thoughts

My favorite thing about The Minolta P’s is the creative challenge it brings. When I’m shooting a camera with every feature and setting under the sun, ironically that plethora of options can bring about an overwhelming abundance of choice and hamstring the process of simply existing and taking pictures. But the Minolta P’s is not a feature-packed fully-loaded beast of a camera. It’s just the opposite; an ultra-portable box that (literally) captures just a sliver of light. And it doesn’t hurt that it comes in a sleek, plastic, early-90s shell.

Limitations tend to enhance creativity. The boundaries of what we can and cannot control become a catalyst to finding ways to create something we may otherwise might not. The Minolta P’s foundational feature, the 35mm film panorama crop, usually gets the cold shoulder, or a snide comment that “You could just crop in post.” And that’s technically true. But picking up the Minolta P’s is a choice to accept the challenge of less. The challenge of limitations. It’s a choice to expose less of the film negative and not think it’s a waste. A choice to change your perspective figuratively and literally. Picking up the Minolta P’s is a choice to flex your creative muscle.

And More on the Minolta P’s:

• I have a video review, which you can watch here.
• The Instagram of Jeff Greenstein, a Minolta P’s fan who makes beautiful images.
• Here’s the I Dream Of Cameras episode that talks about the Minolta P’s.

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The post The Cinematic Point and Shoot – Minolta P’s (Freedom Vista) Review appeared first on Casual Photophile.

While not exactly forgotten by true camera nerds (many of my friends in the camera blogosphere have written reviews of this relatively hidden gem), the Nikon N2000 certainly fails to garner the kind of wide acclaim foisted upon other SLRs from the era of manual focus SLR dominance. Its popularity doesn’t come close to that of cameras like the Nikon F3, the Canon AE1 or the Pentax K1000, to pick three easy comparisons.

Which is strange, since the Nikon N2000 is better equipped than an F3, just as small as an AE1, and far more advanced than a K1000.

Why, then, don’t people squawk endlessly about it on YouTube? No idea. Don’t care. Let’s move on, so that I can get back to what I love— squawking endlessly about cameras that I like.

What is the Nikon N2000

First released in 1985, the Nikon N2000 (known as the Nikon F-301 in Japanese and European markets) is a manual focus 35mm film SLR camera using Nikon’s ubiquitous F mount lens system. As a replacement for the earlier Nikon FG, the N2000 was (and remains) a truly capable consumer-level camera with a number of surprising capabilities.

In fact, the N2000 represents a number of “firsts” in Nikon’s lineage.

It was the first Nikon camera with an integral motor drive. It was the first Nikon camera to use polycarbonate plastic extensively in its construction. It was the the first Nikon with DX-coding capability, and it was one of only four Nikon SLRs which was able to support the advanced exposure modes made possibly by Nikon’s AI-S F mount lenses (the others being the Nikon FA, the Nikon N2020, and the Nikon F4).

It’s a compact SLR, lightweight, surprisingly robust, easy-to-use and easy on the eyes. It’s powered by a common battery type (either four AAA batteries, or four AA batteries with an optional extended baseplate). It meters well, has multiple shooting modes, is equipped with one of the most versatile lens mounts in the history of photography, and can even beep at us when it’s angry.

The N2000 was, and still is, a solid, well-equipped, highly capable film camera. That said, it was short-lived.

By the mid-1980s, the autofocus era had truly arrived. Nikon was more than happy to push their manual focus past aside as AF was embraced by buyers in the lucrative entry-level market. The N2000 was quickly replaced by the far more modern and AF-equipped Nikon N4004s in 1987. (Tragic, because good lord, is that camera ugly.)

Specifications of the Nikon N2000

• Camera Type – Integral-motor 35mm single lens reflex (full frame, 24 x 36mm image area)
• Lens Mount – Nikon F mount
• Exposure Modes – Program, Program Hi (for high speed shooting), Aperture Priority, Manual
• Exposure Metering – Center weighted TTL metering, EV1 to EV19 at ISO 100 with f/1.4 lens
• Shutter – Electronic vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
• Shutter Speeds – Stepless speeds from 1 to 1/2000 second on Program, Program Hi, and Aperture Priority modes; non-stepless Manual mode speeds from 1 to 1/2000th second; Bulb mode for long exposures
• Viewfinder – Fixed eye-level pentaprism; 0.85x magnification with 50mm lens; approx. 92% frame coverage
• Focusing Screen – Fixed Nikon Type K2 with central non-shading split-image rangefinder circle, microprism collar, and matte-/Fresnal outer field; 12mm diameter reference circle denotes metering area
• Viewfinder Info – Shutter speed LED readout; Over- and under-exposure warning LED’s; Ready light when using flash
• Exposure Compensation Control – Plus or minus 2 Ev in one-third stop increments
• Film Speed Range – ISO 25 to 4000 for DX-coded film; ISO 25 to 3200 for non-DX-coded film
• Film Advance and Rewind : Automatic film advance up to 2.5 frames per second; manual rewind
• Flash Sync – 1/125 second or slower with electronic flash
• Additional Features – Frame counter, film type window in film door, audible warning alarm for multiple events, self-timer, red indicator LED, hot-shoe for flash and monitor, tripod socket, exposure lock

Using the Nikon N2000 Today

I’ve temporarily owned a dozen or more Nikon N2000s during my time as editor of this site and owner of a camera shop. I’ve shot a few examples of the same, here and there, over spans of weeks and months, and what has always struck me about the N2000 is just how quietly good it is.

But don’t confuse that with actual audible quietness. It’s not a quiet camera. It’s loud. But I don’t mind that. Like a Contax G2 or any good camera in a movie from the early 1990s, the Nikon N2000 makes all the right noises for a camera-liker like me. Its shutter chonks hard, its winder whirrs brightly, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the hand, the N2000 feels amazing. With its geometric grip, it balances one-handed better than something like a Nikon FE or a Canon AE1, cameras which are slippery in their gripless-ness. With a compact lens mounted, such as the 45mm Nikkor Pancake or the Nikon 50mm Series E, the camera is compact and subtle enough to be used as a travel and walkaround camera.

The camera’s F mount is capable of mounting any Nikon AI or AI-s lens. Naturally any third party lens made for the same mount will work as well. Only a few exceptions exist (see the manual for those).

The Nikon N2000’s controls rest exactly where they should, and handling the camera becomes second nature within just a few frames. By the end of the first roll of film I’m able to set shutter speed (or exposure mode), adjust exposure compensation, use the exposure lock, frame, and focus, all without ever taking my eye from the viewfinder or fumbling about with confusing dials and switches.

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The viewfinder is informative and among the brightest viewfinders I’ve ever seen in a manual focus camera. This brightness, and the ample focusing aids packed into the fixed focusing screen, make manual focus fast and easy. Additionally, the in-VF LED display does everything I want it to do.

In manual mode, the bank of LEDs on the right-hand side of the VF shows our set shutter speed as well as a flashing speed recommendation based on the camera’s meter. In Aperture Priority mode, it shows the automatically selected shutter speed based on available light and the lens’ aperture, and when using the exposure lock it displays the locked speed and recommended setting. In program mode, the camera takes care of everything and the LEDs let us know what’s happening.

What’s missing from the VF is an indicator to show our selected lens aperture. While this is something that becomes known by feel over time, I wouldn’t have been upset if Nikon had managed to shoehorn that feature into this otherwise perfect viewfinder.

Set to single shot, the camera advances the film one frame after each shot. Set to continuous mode, the camera fires shot after shot at a pace as fast as 2.5 frames per second. Film rewind is manual – we only must remember to slide and press the two-factor authentication that is the camera’s rewind switch, and then crank the crank like on so many earlier manual cameras.

For the way that I use film cameras (aperture priority is my preferred mode, I like manual focus and single lens reflex shooting) the N2000 is an uncomplicated hit. It just works.

The Nitpicks

But not all is perfect. The N2000 does fail me in certain ways.

To start, the On/Off switch is annoying. It’s a spring-tension collar that surrounds the shutter release button. To turn the camera on or to select our drive mode, we pull it up from its L (locked) position and rotate it to either S (single shot) or C (continuous), and the motion just doesn’t feel good, being kind of vague and cheap. This is admittedly a minor annoyance, at most, but its an annoyance that’s felt every time I have to turn the camera on or off, or change drive modes from single to continuous.

Next, the tripod socket is positioned almost at the very edge of the bottom of the camera, so that when mounted to a tripod, the whole thing kind of dangles precariously with all of its weight on one side. Another nitpick, for sure, and one that will rarely impact me or anyone else. But I’m paid to complain.

Lastly, the exposure compensation dial has an egregiously protective locking feature whereby it is impossible to adjust the exposure comp by even one increment without pressing and holding down the lock button.

My very favorite method of shooting is to shoot in aperture priority, and to rely heavily on exposure compensation control as I’m reading the scene. If the subject is backlit, for example, I like to use exposure comp, or if the metering circle of the center-weighted meter happens to be in an area that’s extra dark or extra light, I will typically notice that and compensate accordingly. But with this dial’s lock, the process becomes tedious and frustrating, so that eventually I end up attempting to achieve my exposure compensation through use of the AE lock (which is hit or miss, and even more frustrating).

Other minor grumbles include the following: There’s no depth-of-field preview; the camera won’t work without batteries; it’s made out of plastic; there’s no cable-release thread on the shutter release; there’s no mirror lock-up; there’s no shutter blind. None of these things bother me, but they might bother you.

[Above: The Nikon N2000 makes great shots with all types of lenses and in all types of light. It just works.]

Final Thoughts

We all love cameras. But the cameras we all seem to love best are the ones that surprise us with their capability and quality at an equally surprising low price. The Nikon N2000 is just such a camera. Fitted with a standard, compact Nikon lens, it’s hard to think of another manual focus camera that outperforms the N2000. Especially when we consider that a used Nikon N2000 can be bought for about $50.

However, there is one big reason that a certain type of camera-liker might not like the N2000. If you’re the kind of photo nerd who can’t abide manual focus, the N2000 is a non-starter. It’s manual focus only, and that’s the end of that.

But if the N2000 sounds just right in all ways but one. If the only thing holding you back is that nagging little lack of autofocus, worry not. Nikon made an almost identical camera, called the N2020, which is nothing less than the very excellent N2000, but with autofocus. Wow. What a time to be alive.

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

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